Hyperbaric Contingency Facility (HRF)

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Hyperbaric Rescue Facility (HRF)

NUI operates Europe’s most advanced Hyperbaric Rescue Facilities (HRF), serving the Norwegian, Danish, and UK sectors. The facility is designed for safe evacuation of up to 24 saturation divers in emergencies. Located quayside, it features an advanced alignment table for transferring divers from Self Propelled Hyperbaric Lifeboats (SPHL) to the in-house chamber system, ensuring safe evacuation of saturation divers from offshore operations. Equipped with a mobile rescue chamber and a backup Life Support Package (LSP), the HRF ensures operational continuity.

NUI operates the most advanced Hyperbaric Rescue Facilities (HRF) in Europe, supporting the Norwegian, Danish, and much of the UK sector. Our facility is designed to ensure safe evacuation of saturation divers during emergencies on diving support vessels (DSVs). With a capacity to house up to 24 divers in saturation, the HRF is located on the quay side and is equipped with a state-of-the-art alignment table that accommodates the largest Self Propelled Hyperbaric Lifeboats (SPHL), minimizing risks during the transfer of divers into our in-house chamber system. The facility also features a mobile rescue chamber and an additional Life Support Package (LSP) to provide redundancy and ensure operational continuity during large-scale emergencies. NUI’s HRF has integrated the latest Fathom Systems DMS, enhancing monitoring and communication capabilities. Our proven experience includes full-scale rescue drills with industry leaders like Statoil, Technip, and Subsea7, showcasing our readiness for hyperbaric evacuations. NUI’s HRF provides a complete hyperbaric rescue solution, ensuring safety through every phase—from vessel evacuation to SPHL reception—offering unparalleled support for the offshore industry.

NUI Hyperbaric rescue facility

NUI Hyperbaric Rescue Facility Coverage Map

Our Hyperbaric Rescue Facility(HRF) covers the Norwegian, Danish and majority of UK sector and has capacity for 24men in saturation.  Our robust alignment table is designed and produced to fit the largest Self Propelled Hyperbaric Lifeboats (SPHL) in operation today and in the future. The table is established on the quayside with connection to the in-house chamber system. This reduces the handling of the SPHL and involved risks.

A mobile rescue chamber is used for transfer of divers from SPHL to the NUI in-house chamber system. In case of emergency, this rescue chamber will be used for evacuation of divers out from the in-house chamber complex. NUI also have an extra Life Support Package(LSP) to supply a second lifeboat while the other SPHL is on the alignment table.

NUI has upgraded their saturation system with the latest Fathom Systems DMS, Analysers and communications.

In the spring and summer of 2014 Rapid Response Rescue Vessel trials picking up a Self Propelled Hyperbaric Lifeboat were performed for the first time ever as a joint program between Statoil, Technip, Subsea7 and NUI.

The films shown under is from the three different phases of Hyperbaric Rescue

Phase 1 (Evacuation from Vessel)

Hyperbaric Evac Phase

The diving industry recognize that during a ship catastrophic failure where the ship must be abandoned – typically due to a collision, grounding, uncontrolled fire, explosion, capsized or sinking vessel, there must be proven evacuation methods for all personnel onboard.

Onboard a Dive Support Vessel successful methods to rescue divers under pressure requires good planning and equipment in order to get divers safely back to surface in an emergency situation where the Diving Support Vessel has to be abandoned.

Very few hyperbaric evacuations have ever taken place, however it is recognised that there has been incidents where proper hyperbaric evacuation systems were not actually available. It is also well know that vessels do have to be abandoned from time to time.

There are several phases in a sustainable hyperbaric rescue plan and up to date competence and skills are essential for a successful outcome of a rescue situation. A complete evacuation should not take more than 30 minutes.

This video is a joint project between Statoil and Technip recorded on board the Technip Dive Support Vessel Skandi Arctic.

 

Phase 2 (Recovery of SPHL)

Hyperbaric Evac Phase 2

The diving industry recognize that during a ship catastrophic failure where the ship must be abandoned – typically due to a collision, grounding, uncontrolled fire, explosion, capsized or sinking vessel, there must be proven evacuation methods for all personnel onboard.

For saturation divers Self Propelled Hyperbaric Lifeboats has been implemented to ensure safe evacuation of divers living under elevated pressure conditions.

Statoil as offshore Operator of several oil and gas fields utilizing diving services have introduced 3 Rapid Response Rescue Vessel’s, RRRV’s, as part of their contingency & rescue plan for all personnel on their fields; including rescue of saturation divers.

In the spring and summer of 2014 Rapid Response Rescue Vessel trials picking up a Self Propelled Hyperbaric Lifeboat were performed for the first time ever as a joint program between

Statoil, Technip, Subsea7 and NUI

Phase 3 (Reception of SPHL at NUI HRF)

The diving industry recognize that during a ship catastrophic failure where the ship must be abandoned – typically due to a collision, grounding, uncontrolled fire, explosion, capsized or sinking vessel, there must be proven evacuation methods for all personnel onboard.

For saturation divers Self Propelled Hyperbaric Lifeboats has been implemented to ensure safe evacuation of divers living under elevated pressure conditions. Phase 3 of the evacuation cover the onshore reception after a SPHL has arrived with personnel onboard.

 

 

Contact

David Humphreys

Manager Hyperbaric Operations

E-mail: dhu@nui.no

Phone: +47 55 94 28 00